Info on the Net vs what works for my plants, The Naked Succulent truth

[Miki J.]

Hi Craig and Denise

Another advice from someone who knows that what actually works, real appreciated. I have all my plants in very drained soil mostly by Bonsai Jacks succulent soil which is part bark part gravel. I am super careful with watering as over watering seems to be the number 1 death reason for succulents. Non the less not one of my beauties died so far because of too much water. I might will go a little more heavy handed on watering as I only tend to apply water once leaves show signs of drying, shrivel etc... maybe a little too extreme.
Thanks for sharing your experience again...
Cheers Miki

[Miki J.]

Euphorbia ritchie

Bought this one last year around August, no leaves no nothing just this tubes sticking out. No growth what ever occurred until late February, then out of nothing leaves appeared all over the pant. Plus a push in the actual growth of the plant, tubes stretched, everything expanded. So I would think if you want to re pot, do it a little before end February as I know this plant will loose all its leave when under stress. I water all 14 days in real fast draining soil all year around. Its growing, its happy . You go girl !!!
-Update: Water more frequently, once a week in fast draining gritty soil once leaves are fully established. Too little water will not harm the plant itself but its going to loose its leaves. Bummer.

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One year later

Well, Apocalypse struck and the plant fell breaking 2 large branches off and cutting deep into the main one in the middle. I pretty much just put the broken branches aside and pretty much forgot about them... 2 weeks later when cleaning up my plant station... ROOTS!! Put those fellas back in my grit mix and by now its active growth on both, leaves and the whole lot.

The main plant recovered fine and the deep cut somehow started to grow tighter, seeming to close itself. What a Trooper!!

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[Miki J.]

Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’

By no means a rare plant but for me way fun to grow. Its a fast grower too and needs very little tending too, which can be at times rather refreshing. 3 months back this plant was half the size and I can see tiny new arms emerging all over the place.
I read to water very little to non during winter months, I watered about all 3 weeks. You can see when the arms are getting wrinkles, as in this pic. I started watering more frequent end of April, all wrinkles are gone and the plant looks full and blush. Kept in super well drained soil. I might even hit it with a fertilizer at the next watering and make it real explode. Off you go Gollum !

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One year later

Just keeps on growing wild this one. Its time for a bigger pot this one is probably way way too small by now. Watering on this plant is super easy and obvious just squeeze the stems gentle and you know straight away.

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[nachtkrabb]

Hi Miki,
I have Gollums since 15years & I love them. I would give them a bit more water during winter, i.e. not more often but more in each go, so that the leaves do not shrivel like that. Very well draining soil is splendid.
Mine are outside during the summer, full sun (besides a "lunch break" with shadow). According to rain and sun, I water them up to once a week, now and then with fertilizer. During winter, they reside in an unheated, well lit stairwell and get water every second or third week.
With this combination they flower at my place during winter (just as my Dollar Plants Crassula ovata): Umbels with tiny little stars in white with a touch of rose. Lovely.
N.

[Miki J.]

Adromischus marianae f. herrei

Could not help myself and got another Adro, same species as in the previous pic, or at least supposed to but way different, which I like.
This one is colossal compared to the other, the mother leave alone is at least double the size of the whole other plant. Planning to grow this one big.
Otherwise all my Adros complete stopped growth from beginning of May on, nothing, nada. I still water the same schedule, aprx all 2 weeks or 10 days. With more intense sun both Herrei's starting to turn slowly red, starting at the tips working down. I will post pics once more red.

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One year later

Slowly but steady is producing 2 new leaves every spring and autumn.

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[Miki J.]

Mammillaria bocasana 'FRED'

I think "Fred's" are awesome, so many variations and shapes, just like a snowflake but in a ugly duckling sort of sense.

Anyway looking it up on the Net, Fred's a prone to root rot. No way, real? Otherwise not much out their.
One fact that os talked about and I can verify is that Fred's hate mid day strong sun. On the picture you can see miner burn marks, like scraps. I believe this happened when I moved and left Fred for a few days on the window sill in full light. I now keep him shaded by a shear curtain, just defused light.

He will grow out of it or carry this battle scars forever. Still a good looking fella Fred.

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HELP!!!!

Unfortunate this Fred and another one died on me for no apparent reason. Each lasted about 4 months, used as with all my succulents very very well drained mix, nearly all gravel.. Bonsai Jacks succulent soil. Watered apex all 2 weeks, sold was always complete dry by then. Happy plants all around. And then from one day to the next, ROT! You gentle touch the plant and parts literally come off, base complete rotten. Tried another one and the same thing...3 months later... boom Deja vue.

Any tips on Fred's... please let me know, one of my all time fav plants.

Cheers

[TimN]

My "fred" is in sun under 50% shade cloth in Phoenix, AZ all day. It's 42C here right now. It all depends on what you're used to. Mine looks to be the same cultivar as yours.

I've never had any trouble with mine.

Congrats on the E. ritchie. I've never had any luck with them. Your's looks great!

Several succulents I've had seem to up and die in the middle of summer. "gollum" and a few others do great until the hottest part of the year and then collapse.

[Miki J.]

Cheers for your input Tim

Yea I have no issues what ever with Gollum and E Ritchie, I have them both in super draining soil, actually just gravel from Bonsai Jack. I water the Gollum only once I see a little shrivel and sot to touch. As soon as I water on all Gollum's they firm up over night.

The E Ritchie I have on a window with about 4 hours of sunlight and I water all 3 weeks. Growing real fast since March/ April. But as soon as you stress the plant a tiny bit all the leaves fall off.

Unfortunate for no apparent reason to me The Fred started to rot at the base, it all turned to mush in a translucent color, I amputated about a 1/4 of the plant at the base and the rest seems to be fine. Still bummed as this was one of my favorites in the perfect round shape.

Cheers
Miki

[nachtkrabb]

Otherwise all my Adros complete stopped growth from beginning of May on, nothing, nada.

What are you doing with them? I am in Stuttgart, i.e. approximately same clima zone. Mine love their summer residence on the balcony, half shade. They grow like madness. Now & then one of them grows a stalk with teeny-weeny flowers, beginning February.

Example:

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[Jangaudi]

I think one of the reasons home cultivated plants tend to need more water than is written on some websites, referring to their natural habitat, is that the air in homes, esp. office buildings tends to be incredibly dry, in comparison to the air outside, which is usually more humid, even in the desert. There tends to be night time condensation as well, which plants surely will take advantage of in the wild. Furthermore, the roots are in the open soil, and deep down there's always still some water / humidity left which must spread out somewhat. If the soil in a flowerpot dries out, it really is dry !

And concerning winter/summer growers. I have read somewhere that most of these plants are opportunist growers, and considering their natural habitat (mostly western South Africa) becomes very dry and hot during summer, these are no conditions to grow in, so they go into hiding until things get more acceptable again, winter time. Though some species actually need this yearly summer sleep to stay healthy, like Conophytums.....but then again...that's what I read on the web

[nachtkrabb]

Furthermore, the roots are in the open soil, and deep down there's always still some water / humidity left which must spread out somewhat. If the soil in a flowerpot dries out, it really is dry !

We should really keep this in mind, espacially when plants grow in terracotty pots (not mine).
Thank you for the reminder, Jangaudi.
N.

[nachtkrabb]

Miki J, your Euphorbia ritchie is simply lovely. I'd like one, too.
N.

[Miki J.]

Otherwise all my Adros complete stopped growth from beginning of May on, nothing, nada.

What are you doing with them? I am in Stuttgart, i.e. approximately same clima zone. Mine love their summer residence on the balcony, half shade. They grow like madness. Now & then one of them grows a stalk with teeny-weeny flowers, beginning February.

Example:
DSCN0287-Adromischus-72-summercamp.JPG

I am going to post a update with pics of all plants soon. But hey, no growth at all during the summer for my Adromischus, like nothing, not a millimiter. But juts this week as summer comes to an end I can already see new leaves sprouting. Juts kept them in the same position, same window all year. Sun from early morning to about 2pm and then light shade.

[Miki J.]

Some sort of Ariocarpus

I received this one with no roots at all, I presume it was grafted and cut. Anyway a few weeks in gravel like soil and with a little tug on the plant you could feel already strong roots. The plant is now aprx 6 months in the pot and feels strong, I have not looked at the root growth yet but feels solid planted in the soil. Awesome plant, big fan, but I presume growth can be very very slow with this fellas. Lets see next year...

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[Miki J.]

Avonia quinaria

Received this plant a few months back. I read all sorts of rotting issues and that a good way around it is to lettuce thick stem protrude a touch from the soil line. I looked at pics and the root system seemed to be pretty shallow on this plant 1/3 is raised and 2/3 are still below, its like a palm tree sort of. Anyway, I water about all 2 weeks, super fast draining gravel like soil, let complete dry out between watering. When squeezing the top of the stem gentle you can feel when water is needed. I do not water from above but from below and not all the way up, only 1/3 enough to flood the roots with water.
2 flowers are open, would be awesome to see more. Weird thing this one, it opens a few flower pods a touch, then closes them again and so on and on....

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